Back in Iowa, the Dodd campaign continued his “12 Days of Results Tour” by celebrating Dodd’s expansive foreign policy experience and vision for improving our nation’s diplomatic relations and moral standing in the world. A senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dodd has been involved in nearly every foreign policy debate over the past quarter century. A former volunteer in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic and fluent in Spanish, Dodd is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.

Iowa Campaign Celebrates His Experience In Foreign Policy Debates Over Past Quarter Century

Des Moines, IA – On the sixth day of his 12 Days of Results Tour, Chris Dodd traveled back to Iowa after winning a fight on the Senate floor against a bill providing immunity for the telecom companies that participated with the Bush Administration in violating the civil liberties of millions of Americans. Read more about his victory on this issue at http://chrisdodd.com/filibuster.

Back in Iowa, the Dodd campaign continued his “12 Days of Results Tour” by celebrating Dodd’s expansive foreign policy experience and vision for improving our nation’s diplomatic relations and moral standing in the world. A senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dodd has been involved in nearly every foreign policy debate over the past quarter century. A former volunteer in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic and fluent in Spanish, Dodd is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs.

Dodd has pledged to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq as soon as possible. He believes we must end our involvement in that country’s civil war by using the Congressional power of the purse, and has voted to end funding for the war. If Congress is not unable able to pass legislation to end the war before 2009, Dodd will end the war as President by:

* Beginning to safely redeploy U.S. combat troops out of Iraq.

* Providing all the funding necessary for a safe redeployment of our troops.

* Completing redeployment within eight to ten months.

* Insisting on three narrowly targeted exceptions -- the protection of U.S. personnel and infrastructure, specific counterterrorism operations, and assistance with the training and equipping of Iraqi forces.

Among other accomplishments, Dodd was a leader in the effort to bring peace and stability to Central America in the 1980s. He repeatedly traveled to the region to meet with presidents, political opposition, religious and military leaders – often conducting the meetings in Spanish – and he led the Senate Central America Observer Group that was created to monitor the progress of the Guatemala City Peace Accord, which called for cease-fires in the civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Dodd also worked closely with Senator Ted Kennedy, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, and President Bill Clinton to help facilitate the Good Friday Peace Accords in Northern Ireland. In addition, Dodd has traveled to the Middle East four times since the outbreak of the war in Iraq – visiting Baghdad three times in that period – to meet with international leaders. During his visits, Dodd assessed the impact of U.S. foreign policy on the region, opened up important lines of communications with countries like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel, and made sure American troops were being taken care of and protected.

The Dodd Foreign Policy Plan would:

* Strengthen our Alliances. As President, Chris Dodd will work to restore our alliances, rebuild international institutions to better fight the war against terrorism, and enhance America’s security while upholding our common values.

* Diplomacy, Not More Troops in Iraq. Chris Dodd is strongly opposed to the Bush-Cheney troop surge strategy. As President, he will advance a surge of diplomacy in the region, not a surge of more troops.

* End the War in Iraq Decisively. Chris Dodd understands that ending the war in Iraq makes America safer. He strongly supports the Feingold-Reid proposal – the only responsible measure in Congress that sets a timetable to end the war in Iraq by March 31, 2008 – and he has urged all the candidates in the presidential race to join him. It is time to stand up to the President’s misguided Iraq policy.

* Hold America’s Allies Accountable. As President, Chris Dodd would engage key strategic countries, nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia, and call on them to support freedom and democracy in their own countries and to eliminate the conditions that export terrorism and allow our enemies to thrive.

* Enhance and Export Energy Technology to Free America and the World From Reliance On Oil. Chris Dodd believes we need to invest in renewable energy technology that will allow America to achieve energy independence. As President, he would share that technology with our allies to end their alliances of necessity with dictators from oil-producing nations like Venezuela and Iran.

Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance ActSenator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them."

What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more.

Paul Theroux: Peace Corps WriterPaul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV).

Ambassador revokes clearance for PC DirectorA post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

Suspect confesses in murder of PCVSearch parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

He served with honorOne year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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Story Source: All american Patriots

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Dominican Republic; Politics; Congress; Election2008 - Dodd

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